Reflections
by lexkixass
Summary: Summary: Sasuke's thoughts during the fight with Haku. / Teaser: How, my brain wondered rashly, would that moron make it to being Hokage if a simple C-rank mission ended up killing him?


**Reflections**

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"Ne, ne, Sasuke! What's the plan?"

I stared in dumb disbelief when Naruto popped up in front of me. "You IDIOT!" I screamed when I found my voice, astonishment boiling into rage. I could have quite cheerfully _killed_ him at this moment and saved our enemy the trouble. "What the hell are you DOING!" Did he seriously believe that being _inside_ Haku's ice-mirror dome would help us any!

Hurt swam in those blue eyes, stabbing me deep before he tossed out that stupid, sheepish grin of his. Before he could reply, I thought _saw_ Haku move. Not completely, but better than I could before. Light glinted on senbon despite the ice fog, and I shoved Naruto aside a scant heartbeat before fire jabbed its way up my back. Adrenaline beat back most of the pain even as I embraced it; I am _Uchiha_ and am not afraid of fire. Even so, my body was so sluggish in responding that I was worried.

But I couldn't let Naruto know I was in trouble. The moron would try and do something stupid and noble and get us both killed. So I turned my best glare on him, and snarled, "Get _out_ of here!"

It looked like some comprehension was seeping through that thick skull of his. Again I thought I _saw_ him sprint for one of the gaps. I have to give the guy credit; he can _move_ when he wants to. Not as fast as me, of course, but he's better than decent. Instinct told me to glance up and right. Haku flowed through his mirrors. I frowned, trying to predict his path. I realized where he was headed, and Naruto wouldn't make it in time.

I opened my mouth to scream a warning but before I could, Haku's fist slammed into Naruto's chest with the combined impact forces of the missing-nin's inhuman speed and Naruto's best. I watched, helpless, as that brave, stupid fool went airborne.

He landed, hard, the impact of his body kicking up dust. He rolled a few feet before stopping not very far from the other side of the enclosure. I didn't need to be next to him to know he was unconscious. _A solar plexus hit,_ I hypothesized with a calm that surprised me. If he was lucky, he would have only a few broken ribs.

If he wasn't lucky, he'd be dead within minutes if those same ribs punctured something inside.

The thought chilled me more than the air or the ice. He looked so _young_ there. Then Haku appeared in the mirror closest to Naruto. The missing-nin palmed some senbon as he stepped out so he was standing over Naruto.

_His face as blank as any ANBU mask, Itachi stood over them, eyes as red as the blood on his sword. Mom and Dad, bloodied and dying-dead, the pool of their still-warm blood spreading outward on the living room's floorboards._

I screamed. Not a wild shout but a focused cry of rage and pain and defiance. My arms, my whole body _moved_. Steel wires raked the air above Naruto, causing Haku to dash and leaving scours in the ice. A sharp tug and some chakra later, the wires wrapped around a few of the mirrors. Without thought I moved the wires from my fingers to my teeth, biting down hard and inhaling sharply through my nose as I began the seals for a fire jutsu.

Haku was too fast, and I was too slow. His jutsu froze my wires to such brittleness that his feather-light steps shattered them. The bastard still managed to kick me in the face before I could react to the sudden lost tension.

Rolling over the ground only shoved the senbon deeper into my body. Agony swamped me, and the blessed peace of unconsciousness beckoned with cold, welcoming arms.

I thought of Sakura, alone and our client's only defense. I thought of Kakashi-sensei, battling the human demon Zabuza. Mostly, I thought of Naruto, out cold and a sitting duck. How, my brain wondered rashly, would that moron make it to being Hokage if a simple C-rank mission ended up killing him? I couldn't let him die. Not here, not like this. Sakura would never forgive me; she cares for him despite his annoying idiocies, just like I do.

And I sure as fucking _hell_ wasn't going to let some renegade asshole kill _any_ more of the people that mattered to me!

Holding tight to the anger and pain, I pushed myself up to my feet. It was slow and agonizing going, but I could push it away. I _had_ to push it away, throbbing in my eyes included.

I know my getting up surprised Haku. (Hell, in a way it still surprised me.) I could see it in the way he held himself.

I attacked, forcing myself to move despite my body crying out to stop. I struck hard and fast, putting Haku on the defensive and trying my damnedest to keep him out of those mirrors. For several eternal moments, I succeeded. Then- he was gone.

I squinted my eyes, trying to _see_ and wishing more than anything that I had the Sharingan. With those abilities... I mentally shook my head and focused on what I _did_ have to use. I could see him, barely, flitting from mirror to mirror, a shadow I whose shape and color I could catch just enough to know what it really was. All I moved was my head; everything else simply hurt too much.

Haku wasn't focused on me, but he was watching me. He knew I could see him. And unless the guy had chakra reserves like nothing else, I doubted he could maintain this jutsu much longer. He kept circling, circling; no doubt he was looking for the best position where he would have a clean shot at Naruto and still have the necessary distance for the senbon to achieve the needed velocity to pierce deeply enough for a kill. I moved myself closer to Naruto to try and deny him that chance while wracking my brain for some solution to this conundrum. I was just about out of chakra, my limbs were seconds from rebelling, and unconsciousness was digging its cold, sharp fingernails into my brain while yanking with all its strength. Add that in to I couldn't completely protect Naruto, and I began praying that Kakashi-sensei would make it here in time.

I'm also too cynical to believe he actually would.

"My dream is to become the next Hokage! That way everyone will recognize me!"

I jerked and turned halfway. _Naruto!_

No, the fool was still unconscious.

I sensed something and snapped my head to the side-

Haku _moved_ and _threw_-

I didn't remember moving. There was too much fire, too much pain. It hurt to breathe, and my arms... I couldn't feel them. What felt like lightning skittered along my spine. I coughed. Something bubbled. Blood was iron on my tongue. I spat to clear my mouth.

Goddammitt...this was not how I wanted to die.

"Sasuke?"

...That wasn't a hallucination. Naruto sounded too weak and confused.

"Sasuke!" he cried. "Wha'd you do that for!"

I couldn't help it, I grinned. What an idiot. After all the stuff he'd go on about, after all the stuff we've endured, he really had to ask?

"I couldn't...help it," I struggled to say. I could feel the draft of too much air in my throat. Must've taken a senbon to the neck; that might explain the lightning-tingles of nerves there. "My body...moved on its own."

And everything went fuzzy; I don't know for how long.

Then, nothing.

/end

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AN: Thanks to Istoria & Puck for proofreading this story! 3


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